The Neighborhood Farm: An Urban Farming Initiative in and around Needham, Massachusetts. Linked by Michael Levenston. barrow. Painting by Abbi Canney. Kate Canney wasn't going to let living in a suburban ...

In a close reading of the first papal encyclical focused exclusively on the global ecological crisis, The New York Times finds the head of the Catholic Church calling on leaders and people from all cultures to act to protect the world’s ecosystems and the disadvantaged from predatory and shortsighted political and economic systems. - 2015/06/18

Susan Davis Cushing's insight:

A very clear, concise reading of the Pope's encyclical on the environment. Begin by clicking through here. A call to Action is an appropriate, proactive way to look at this major shift in position and power.

A special Earth Day guest lesson, written with NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, a leader in global climate change research, and the Columbia University Earth Institute. It offers resources for teaching about this issue, while addressing important 21st-century literacy skills.

Susan Davis Cushing's insight:

Full of great links and learning frameworks for students and educators.

France just passed a trailblazing new law that requires that all new buildings constructed in commercial areas to be partially-covered by either solar panels or green roofs. Not only will this bring dramatic changes to the nation’s skylines and bolster the efficiency of all new commercial construction, but the law will help France pick up the pace the solar adoption—which has lagged behind other European nations in recent years.

The choreographer and Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich, a professor of biology, collaborated on this work about climate change, set to premiere March 25, at the American Museum of Natural History.

Susan Davis Cushing's insight:

It is oddly disquieting to think of the 20th-century's leggy punk-rock ballerina (then musician's Rhys Chatham's counterpart) as being an activist for climate change.

This article details that almost inevitable path towards environmental awareness so many of us are experiencing.

"For Dr. Ehrlich, collaborating with Ms. Armitage and the museum is a way to reach the public on a personal level. “One of the things that we’ve proven beyond a shadow of a doubt is that telling people what the science is doesn’t change their behavior,” Dr. Ehrlich said. “What we need is to change attitudes.”

It is oddly disquieting to think of the 20th-century's leggy punk-rock ballerina (then musician's Rhys Chatham's counterpart) as being an activist for climate change.

This article details that almost inevitable path towards environmental awareness so many of us are experiencing.

"For Dr. Ehrlich, collaborating with Ms. Armitage and the museum is a way to reach the public on a personal level. “One of the things that we’ve proven beyond a shadow of a doubt is that telling people what the science is doesn’t change their behavior,” Dr. Ehrlich said. “What we need is to change attitudes.”

It is oddly disquieting to think of the 20th-century's leggy punk-rock ballerina (then musician's Rhys Chatham's counterpart) as being an activist for climate change.

This article details that almost inevitable path towards environmental awareness so many of us are experiencing.

"For Dr. Ehrlich, collaborating with Ms. Armitage and the museum is a way to reach the public on a personal level. “One of the things that we’ve proven beyond a shadow of a doubt is that telling people what the science is doesn’t change their behavior,” Dr. Ehrlich said. “What we need is to change attitudes.”

Complicated science, political buffoonery, social injustice, terrible jokes — keeping up with the fate of our planet is an overwhelming endeavor. That’s why today (in fact, right now) you should take a break from all that noise to remind...

This is truly magnifcent... bringing our awareness back out to the greater picture is so crucial in our times - the hyper-focus we drop in to, in doing social media and getting caught up in smaller details of life make us forget the much bigger picture. This was a great reminder , thank you!

Is Bamboo Cloth Good for the Planet?Very useful discussion here. "Organic" and "Sustainable" products, unfortunately, do not always go hand in hand. Bamboo is cheap to grow, expensive to process. The breakdown to fiber consumes vast amounts of water. If you are looking at creating a more sustainable planet, human resources and scarce resources may become more important to you than the luxuries of some organic products. Thanks for the tips, CushyLiveTV! #Bamboo#Sustainability#LuxuryOrganics

"Shell tried to influence the presentation of a climate change program(me) it was sponsoring at the Science Museum in London, internal documents seen by the Guardian show...

.....A recent book argued that fossil fuel companies were sponsoring the arts around the world on an “epidemic” scale as a cynical PR strategy to improve their reputation."

Click on image for full story and links.

Susan Davis Cushing's insight:

Energy is money. As sponsorship information and caveats begin to leak out publicly, can anyone really say they didn't see the environment funding conundrum unfolding? We, as artists, scientists and fundraisers, have used and depended on the fossil fuel corporations for decades.

How now do create bridges and solutions in positive and proactive manner to save our punctured planet?

From Michael Foreman’s groundbreaking Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish to Barroux’s near wordless Where’s the Elephant, The Book Doctor seeks out the best picture books to share with younger children who want to know about our threatened environment

Sunday is World Water Day, a United Nations initiative to celebrate clean water and bring attention to those who don’t have enough of it. A new report released ahead of World Water Day warns about a looming shortage, and centers on this year’s theme: water and sustainable development.

Here are five ways to celebrate World Water Day.

Susan Davis Cushing's insight:

Still not sure that Bill Gates has the answers to sustainability and scarcity issues - nevertheless, it's a great time to review scarce water priorities. Many are blatantly clear. :)

I'm quite a bit of an environmentalist, having grown up being taught my father's ways of appreciating the world upon which we walk and always giving back to nature. I have a soft spot when it comes to seeing the advertisements on television of the third world countries where water is scarce and people are starving to death. I'm quite a freak when it comes to saving and preserving water hence why this article appealed to me.

In five years time I hope to be implementing my knowledge to promote higher occupational health and safety standards but also being able to promote environmentally friendly working practices through these standards. I dream of the day where our world's natural resources aren't becoming so scarce and that our society and workplaces are working to become environmentally sustainable environments.

As an increasingly dire prognosis about the health of the planet emerges, it's worth remembering that environmental pioneers around the world are working at the highest levels to create a greener, more sustainable future....

Some 170 million children were in child labour in 2012, according to the International Labour Organisation, touching areas of our lives from fashion to food. To achieve true sustainability, businesses must consider their impacts on children, both directly and indirectly.

Susan Davis Cushing's insight:

How can businesses help to eradicate child labour? Join experts online in live chat, Tuesday 20 January, 2-3pm GMT

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.